flying-fifteeen

Thanks to Mervyn and Alastair please find below a copy of a Fleet Calendar we have assembled for the upcoming season. This contains three main columns: the first shows the club series and the other major club events; the second shows a list of Flying Fifteen specific events at the club and the third shows some of the major away open meetings from the Class Association Website.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting about many of these events. In the meantime if you have any questions please let me know.

John and Helen have volunteered to lead a training session for DWSC Flying Fifteen Sailors on Saturday 24th March to help prepare us for the sailing season ahead. After an initial on-shore briefing and discussion, exercises will be performed afloat which are likely to include start practice; tacking and gybing practice; etc. If there is any particular skills you want to hone up on please let us know before the day. The intention is to video these sessions and provide a debrief over lunch and at the end of the day.

I have agreed with the club that this training day will be free to club members as long as we can find a qualified volunteer (or volunteers) to drive the Rib. Please could any volunteer please let me know if they are available and willing to help out as soon as possible. If we can find multiple power boat drivers we can organise to swap around during the day.

We will kick off with a discussion in the Wet Bar starting at 10.00 am. Please be rigged but not changed by this time.

Please could you let me know whether you would like to join us for this training day. If you have any questions please call Michael Clapp on 077 6468 1410 or e-mail mike.clapp@btconnect.com.

Our esteemed Commodore presented Roger and Alex Abbey-Taylor (aka ‘my oily offspring’ by his father*) with the Ridgeway Consulting Trophy for the most improved personal handicap in the Summer Series. Well done to Roger & Alex

*it’s to do with Alex’s love of cars apparently (apologies for being even more derogatory in the original post!)

Please find below a round-up of what has been happening and what is coming up at Datchet.

Winter Series

Congratulations to Mike Clapp and Peter Morris for taking the series from Richard Jones and Howard Shawyer with the newbies Nick Moore and Maxine Oliver in 3rd place. Some strong winds have proved challenging recently but some very good close racing has been enjoyed by everyone.

Fleet Championships

We must now all turn our attention to the Datchet Fleet Championships starting this weekend with further details below. If you require a crew please let us know as we have some very keen sailors that would like the opportunity to sail.

Round 1 of the Fleet Championships will be held on Sunday 12th March 2017 – 4 races, two back to back with a break for lunch and then two more races in the afternoon.

Round 2 of the Fleet Championship will be held on Sunday 18th June 2017 when a further 4 races to be sailed.

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Well it was good of Richard Jones to bring the sun back to Datchet on Sunday after his sojourn to the antipodes, even though he was complaining about how unbearably hot it was in Australia whilst only the previous week Nick and I (Maxine) were doing battle with Mike and Peter in sub-zero temperatures (Mike winning both races – but we are getting closer) – now that was something to complain about !

The bimbling is getting quite serious now with Richard lending his loos gauge to Nick and Mike Beckett did not want to be left out so he also used it on the K1. Gavin was seen battling with the tape measure whilst trying to read and holding on to sheets of the tuning guide flapping in the wind. Well we all went a lot better for it but still could not catch Richard although it was very close racing especially at the first mark with 3 of us bearing down on each other with lots of shouting from Richard who obviously doesn’t like crowds – good fun racing.

Nick and I retired after coming 3rd in the first race as I had managed to bend the goose neck in half. I am still not sure it was me that broke the goose neck but “it’s is at the front of the boat” so the blame is all mine – obviously. I have been told the only other person that has been able to do that is super crew Phil Tinsley so I’m in good company.

So we made our way to the Chandlers to spend some more money, Simon was very busy when we got there polishing his new Audi (Nick thinks he has paid for that over the years) but managed to drag himself away to sell us (several hours later) the last goose neck in the shop at a 30p discount mind you on account in conversation they both used to sail cadets at the same club decades apart when they were kids. Still we will be back in business next week ready to do battle again.

We had four F15’s out last Sunday and the first start on a large trapezoid course, some good breeze in the sunshine which was lovely. Lunch followed the racing in the clubhouse as unlike the Spitfire crew we don’t take our lunch out with us. The club and the club house were very busy and buzzing with some good banter.

On a more serious note Tom Hall has delivered to Nick one of the new P&B jibs to trial – it comes complete with a new length halyard and strop. Let us know if you want to trial it and we will bring it in for you.

Lastly we can confirm that John Hanson and Helen Selden have finally arrived in Napier, New Zealand for the Worlds and have been busy putting the mast up and the keel on and getting the sails measured (decal number 28) and just like all athletes – drinking cider! Not sure who is winning that competition but I’m sure Helen is doing all crew proud in the drinking games.

Good luck to John and Helen everyone will be cheering you on from sunny Datchet.